Welch announces Congressional bid in 7th District

Businessman Steven Welch said Thursday that he would run for Congress in the 7th District, adding another candidate to a House race that is shaping up as one of the country’s most competitive.

Welch, a Republican and Phoenixville resident who founded and ran a biotechnology company called the Mitos Group, launched his candidacy by promising a new kind of voter engagement and decrying the economic policies of Democratic leaders in Washington.

“Like many residents of the 7th District I watched with outrage as our Congress voted for bailout after bailout,” Welch said in a statement, “sometimes not even understanding what they were voting for and often bailing out the same companies that they received large political contributions from. We need people in Congress with a proven record of creating good jobs with good benefits, balancing a budget and meeting a bottom line. We don’t need rubber stamps that vote with Nancy Pelosi 97% of the time.”

He only briefly mentioned incumbent Congressman Joe Sestak, reflecting the widespread assumption that Sestak will run for Senate against Arlen Specter instead.

With Sestak expected to vacate a seat that Democrats had only recently recaptured for the first time in years, the race is expected to be a tight, closely-watched one. State Representative Bryan Lentz (D-Delaware) has said he will run, while former U.S. Attorney and current gubernatorial candidate Pat Meehan is said to be considering a campaign for the GOP nomination against Welch. Either way, national party leaders and committees are expected to play heavily in the race.

See Welch’s full statement below:

Welch Announces Run for 7th Congressional District of Pennsylvania

MEDIA,PA — Promising a new style of campaigning that will focus on voter engagement and utilize cutting-edge technologies, Steven Welch today announced his candidacy for the 7th Congressional District of Pennsylvania.

“It is time for accountability and bold approaches to tackle the tough decisions we currently face, not pushing them off for the next generation to solve,” said Welch. “Joe Sestak and the leadership in Congress think the solution to all of our problems is to spend more. I believe the Republican principles of empowering individuals and personal freedom are what can revive our economy and ensure that the United States remains the beacon of hope to the world.”

Steven announced his candidacy on his website, www.WELCHforPA.com, and through Facebook, Twitter and other social networking tools, providing a glimpse of the new approach to campaigning that he plans to bring to the race.

“Like many residents of the 7th District I watched with outrage as our Congress voted for bailout after bailout, sometimes not even understanding what they were voting for and often bailing out the same companies that they received large political contributions from,” added Welch. “We need people in Congress with a proven record of creating good jobs with good benefits, balancing a budget and meeting a bottom line. We don’t need rubber stamps that vote with Nancy Pelosi 97% of the time.”

Steven Welch is the former founder & CEO of the Mitos Group, a leader in biotechnology solutions. Steven is also the co-founder of DreamIt Ventures, a unique venture firm that helps technology start-ups get off the ground. Over the past two years DreamIt has funded over 20 small businesses and helped nearly 100 entrepreneurs.

In 2008 Steve was selected as a member of the Philadelphia Business Journal’s 40 under 40, as well as being named its Entrepreneur of the Year. Most recently Steven was awarded the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship to build bridges internationally in small business communities to drive job creation and economic development. Steven and his wife, Nicole, live in Phoenixville with their daughter, and are expecting their second child this summer.

To learn more about Steven and to watch the announcement of his candidacy visit www.WELCHforPA.com.

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